Please sign in

Surgeries are some of the most delicate medical procedures and some people opt for alternative methods of treatment simply because of this fact. They are usually expensive and most of the time intrusive because a lot of surgeries involve opening up a section of the human body. Pain is therefore part and parcel of many surgical procedures. Once the anesthesia wears off, the patient is bound to experience some discomfort due to the existing surgical wound. Managing post surgical pain is a very important part of recovery, not just because it reduces the discomfort, but also for the reason that it speeds up the recovery process. It also prevents the occurrence of some complications such as blood clots, pneumonia and infections.

Types of pain that occur after surgery

Apart from the area that had been operated on, one may also experience pain in other parts of the body as a result of the surgery. Some types of post-surgery pains include:

Muscle pain: you may feel pain in different body muscles like the neck muscles, chest muscles, back muscles and shoulder muscles as a result of spending several hours lying on the operating table.

Mobility pain: Moving around can be a problem after surgery. As you stretch your body muscles, the incision site may also be stretched and in the process cause pain.

How to manage pain after surgery

Avoid overstretching your muscles: Overstretching your body muscles puts a strain on the incision site. The stitches may then come off and open up the fresh wound. This in turn causes great pain and discomfort. Only take part in lighter duties to avoid straining. Have enough rest so that the body has enough time to heal.

Clean the wound: Obviously if you don’t properly clean the surgical wound it will be infected by bacteria. Use disinfectants to clean it regularly so that germs do not get to breed on the site and cause the skin around it to rot. Bacterial infection causes a lot of pain especially on a fresh wound. If you can’t clean the wound yourself then have someone else do it for you. Some hospitals provide that as a treatment package and so you can make inquiries before you choose a medical facility.

Pain medication: There are a lot of post-surgical pain medications that can be prescribed by doctors. Patients must take the correct dosage because excessive consumption may lead to liver damage. Ensure that you talk to your doctors so that you are not given medication that you are allergic to.

Positive mindset: Sometimes pain is more of a psychological issue than physical. Choose to be optimistic and believe that you’ll get better within a short time. Stress and anxiety will only add to the physical pain that you are already experiencing.

Inform the doctors about any addiction issues that you may have before commencing the surgery. Drug and substance abuse may affect how you take and react to pain medications. The doctors should thus be made well aware in good time for them to prescribe the best treatment methods.